Dispensing holder for collapsible tubes



July 18, 1950 F. T. HOLLOWAY ETAL 2,515,711

DISPENSING noflbEa FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Oct. 8. 1948 Fl d T H HINVENTOR. 0 o oku lg a -filjamin J. M Kmn WW/QW "rm ATTO Quegs Patented July 18, 1950 DISPENSING HOLDER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Floyd T. Holloway and Benjamin J. McKinney, Clovis, N. Mex.

Application October 8, 1948, Serial No. 53,496

T 3 Claims. L i 1 My invention relates to dispensing holders for collapsible tubes, such as are utilized for containing tooth paste, shaving cream, and the like.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide'an improved dispensing holder for collapsible tubes.

A further object is to provide an improved dispensing holder for collapsible tubes which includes a relatively simple structure adapted to be supported on a support, means for mounting a collapsible tube in dispensing relation to the holder, and a combined closure cap and cutoil? for the tube contents operatively carried by the holder.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, and will be readily understood by those Skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the holder according to" the invention showing the same in use;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the planes of the lines 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a further detail of the invention apart from the rest of the structure.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, I!) designates generally any suitable base which, in the form illustrated, comprises a plate bent or otherwise formed into L-shaped configuration so as to provide a vertical flange I l and a horizontally-disposed flange l2. The vertical flange II is adapted to be secured by any suitable means, such as the screws IE, to any suitable support, such as the wall l4. One or more edges of the horizontal plate l'2 may be formed with restricted notches l5 adapted to receive the handles of toothbrushes l6 therein. The horizontal flange I2 of the base In is formed with an internally- 2, v threaded opening I! therethrough which vis adapted to threadedly receive the externallythreaded neck [8 of a collapsible tube [9. ,As is clearly seen in Figures 1 and 3, the horizontal plate or flange I2 is of athickness greater than the length of the neck [8, whereby the free openend of the neck i8 is disposed upwardly. of the; under surface of such plate or flange l2. The under surface of the plate or flange I2 is formed with a suitable transverse recess 20 which may be in the form of a dovetail groove which intersects the opening ll. As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, a plunger 2| is provided with a shape complementary to the groove in and slidable therein. The plunger 2! includes an inner end 22 of reduced thickness which is adapted to be projected across the opening 11 below the free open end of the neck l8 whereby to seal the opening. As best seen in Figure 5, the front end 22 of plunger 2! is defined by an arcuate shoulder 23 which is substantially complementaryto the curvature of the neck 18. Thus, the upper surface of the plunger 2! outwardly of the shoulder 23 is not projectable across the mouth of neck l8 and is protected against contact with the tube con-v tents. Likewise, the upper surface of the reduced inner end 22 of the plunger does not contact the ceiling of the groove or recess 20 where-- by none of the tube contents is smeared or otherwise transferred to the ceiling of the groove as the plunger is retracted. Thus, the groove and main body of the plunger are protected against contact with the tube contents. Consequently, free sliding of the plunger is assured as there is little or no chance of the tube contents being smeared between abutting surfaces of plunger 2| and groove 20 to cause sticking of the plunger. The plunger 2! is likewise provided with a downwardly-turned or directed outer end 24 providing a finger grip whereby the plunger may be actuated inwardly and outwardly in the groove 20. To dispense the contents of the tube, we may provide a key 25 which includes a finger grip 21 and a slot 26 adapted to receive the upper end of the collapsible tube I9 therein. Thereafter, the key 25 is rolled downwardly to and beyond the broken line position of Figure 1 to wind the upper end of the tube therearound and dispense the contents thereof in a well known manner.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the plunger 2| not only provides a closure for the opening H, but also provides a cut-off for the contents of the tube and a seal for the free open end of the same. Thus, when, for instance, tooth paste is to be dispensed to a toothbrush [6, such brush is placed in the broken line position of Figure 1, and the key 25 is rolled downwardly to dispense any desired amount of the tube contents outwardly of the opening l1. Of course, the plunger 2| has been previously retracted to the broken line position of Figure 1, whereby the inner end 22'is retrac'tedfrom across the opening I'l. When asufiicient quantity of tooth paste has been squeezed out of the tube [9, the

plunger 21 is moved to the full line position of Figure 1, at which point the reduced inner end 22 automatically cuts off the supply of tooth:

paste and seals the free open end of the neck l8. Obviously, the simplicity of the structure renders its operation self-evident in view ofthe foregoing, but it is obvious that the device-could be used for dispensing of shaving cream or other goods contained in collapsible tubes.

Likewise, although we have shown and described what is now thought to be the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that the same 'is' susceptible of otherforms and e'xpressions. Consequently, we do not limit ourselves to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. In a, dispensing holder forcollapsible tubes of the type including an externally-threaded neck'formed with afreeopen end, a base, means for mounting said base on a support, said base being formed with an internally-threaded opening therethrough adaptedfor threaded engagement' with said neck of said tube, said opening 1:

being substantially longer than the length of said neck, said base being formed with a recess therein intersecting said opening in the region of said free open end of said neck, a plunger slidable in said recess; said plunger including an'inner end of reduced thickness extensible acrosssaid openin toclose the same, said inner endbeing defined by an arcuateshoulder, and said inner end of said shoulder comprising means for preventing'smearing' of the tube contentin said recess.

2. In a. dispensing holder for collapsible tubes of the type including an externally-threaded neck formed with a free open end, comprising a flat plate having-upper and under surfaces, said so as to project horizontally therefrom, said plate being formed with a vertically-disposed and internally-threaded opening, said neck being adapted to be threaded into said opening from above to dispose said tube above said plate, said plate being of greater thickness than the length of said neck, said under surface of said plate being formed with a dovetail 'groove extending transversely "of' said opening and "intersecting the same, a plunger complementary to said adapted'to be projected across said opening to close the same, said inner end being defined by an'=upWardly-directed shoulder, said inner end and said shoulder comprising means preventing platebeing adapted to bemountedon a support 50 the contents-\ofi'said tube from being smeared along said groove as said plunger is retracted 'to'uncover said opening, and said plunger including a downwardly-directed outer end pro- Viding a *finger grip.

3. In dispensing .:holder for use with icollapsible tubes of the type including aneck- :aformed with a; free open end, a basetadapte'd to be mounted on asupporting surface, "theopen 'end of the neck of the tubeextending' lthrough one face of'said base and terminating at ,apoint spaced from the other face'of saidilbase; and a plunger-positioned withinthe space adjacent the other face-'of:said-base and slidably-supported in saidlbase for movement intoand out zof-.bridgingrelationwith the openendof said neckpthe bridging part of said -plungertbeingvcut away to thereby prevent smearing of the tubencontents along-said other face ofrsaid baserassaid plunger is moved out-of bridging relation-with the open end-of said neck.

- FLOYD T.--HOLLOWAY;.

BENJAMIN J. MGKINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

